Friday, June 15, 2007

Welcome to “Up Close & Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing her views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Jen Calonita, she is the author of “Secrets of My Hollywood Life: On Location” which is the second book in the series.

Ms. Calonita was working for Mademoiselle when she was tapped by Teen People where over the last eight years she is risen to the post of senior entertainment editor. Her career accomplishments also include stints at Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire and Glamour Magazine as entertainment journalist.

Her list of interviews includes such notables as: Reese Witherspoon,Lindsay Lohan,Hilary Duff, Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block, Ashton Kutcher,J. Lo, and Donald Trump. She has a knack for knowing the inside track of the high profile Hollywood youth sets.

EI: Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about Jen Calonita -- the woman behind the journalist & the author?

JC: I’ve always loved writing. In high school I wrote for the school newspaper and submitted articles to teen magazines. I always thought I would go for a writing career after college, but I figured it would be with magazines (which it was). I never envisioned myself becoming an author.

EI: Ms. Calonita, how did you get started in publishing? Did you set your sites right after college?

JC: I graduated Boston College and got my first job at Mademoiselle magazine (which is no longer in business). It was a great place to learn the ropes. From there, I went to Teen People, where I worked as an entertainment editor for five years.

EI: Do you express your inner self in your writing or do the personas you create exist only in your imagination?

JC: I like to say I’m able to tap into my inner-13-year-old. The things I write about are usually things I’ve experienced (like the celebrity world while I was at Teen People) or things that happened to me during high school. I bet most writers would say that high school and college gave them their best material!

EI: Please tell our readers something about your experience as a Senior Entertainment Editor for Teen People? What was the career path that leads you to that level?

JC: I worked my way up from an associate to a senior editor over the years based on my experience and hard work. I loved working at that magazine (which is also no longer around, sadly). I felt like we really put out a magazine that appealed to all kinds of teens and covered everything they were thinking about. I loved writing about TV and movies and knowing what was coming up sixth months, or a year from now in the world of entertainment.

EI: What about your experience as an entertainment journalist for Glamour, Marie Claire and Entertainment Weekly? How did you manage to be in the limelight?

JC: Well, EW and Glamour I’ve only written for once. Marie Claire several times. I write for TV Guide sometimes and do some work for some custom publishing magazines. I love doing magazine writing. When you’re an author, it’s just yourself in a room typing and it can get a little lonely. Working on magazine pieces and doing celeb interviews makes me feel a little more connected. But as a writer, you don’t get too much attention—unless you tick somebody off!

EI: Do you think that your experience as an editor helped you succeed as a writer?

JC: Definitely. When I’m editing my books now, I love the process. I think because I came from the editing world and I’m so used to working and reworking a piece, it’s a little bit easier for me to wrap my head around changes. I can picture how I want to fix things and where I want to move different plot points.

EI: Do you still write for periodicals? What are the do's and don'ts of writing for periodicals, and how does the discipline differ from writing novels?

JC: See answer number five.

EI: What is your response to the public perception that writers’ creative insight and energy is frequently the product of personal conflict?

JC: I would say that probably is true half of the time. I’m always fascinated by people like J.K. Rowling, who created a whole new world that mesmorized readers. I know I find my best material writing from things I’ve experienced or witnessed.

EI: What would you like to say to writers who are reading this interview and wondering if they can keep creating, if they are good enough, if their voices and visions matter enough to share?

JC: I would say just keep working at it. The more you practice, the more you get down on paper, the easier the words will flow.

EI: What surprised you most about the publishing process from the writer's perspective?

JC: Probably how much you work alone. In the magazine world, I could write an article and ten people would look at it and edit it and give me comments BEFORE I reworked the piece! As an author, you submit a broad proposal and then once it’s approved, just start writing. Someone doesn’t look at it chapter by chapter or plot point by plot point until the whole book is finished (at least in my experience).

EI: Many writers describe themselves as "character" or "plot" writers. Which are you? And what do you find to be the hardest part of writing?

JC: Sometime the middle of the book can be the hardest. I know how I want to start and I know how I want to finish it, but sometimes I get a little lost in the middle and am not quite sure how to keep the momentum going. That’s why I work off outlines as much as I can so that I stay focused. I’m not really sure what I focus more on—character or plot, but I do know I like to paint a picture of the scene so that the reader feels like he/she is there.

EI: Would you describe yourself as a confident writer, always ready to face the next new challenge? Either in front of a TV camera, famous celebrity or an editor? Do you have to psyche yourself up to try different venues?

JC: Over the years I’ve gotten used to interviewing celebrities and figuring out what you can ask and what you can’t, but sometimes when I’m about to interview a star I really like, I still do get nervous!

EI: You are well known in the writing community as the beautiful, smart, celebrity journalist. You have interviewed Reese Witherspoon, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Ashton Kutcher, J. Lo, Donald Trump to name a few... and now a novelist? How do you manage being the center of public attention and the limelight?. Do you ever feel pressure or insecure, or are you able to separate all that from your own creative process?

JC: “beautiful, smart, celebrity journalist”? Wow, um, can I quote you on that? Seriously though, there are so many other writers/editors who do exactly what I do on a much bigger scale that I admire so much. I really don’t spend much time in the spotlight, let alone the limelight. In front of a flashlight, maybe, but that’s about it.

EI: When you look back on your enormously successful career as a journalist with Mademoiselle, & Teen People is there anything you would’ve done differently? If so, what and why? If not, how do you manage to move forward without regrets?

JC: I’m really happy with the experience I had at both magazines. They allowed me to do everything I dreamed of doing—let my ideas be heard, let me write about stars, travel…I couldn’t have asked for better jobs.

EI: You have articles published in different publications such Marie Claire, Glamour to name a few... Would you recommend for new writers to submit short stories to magazines to gain an understanding and acquire experience in the world of publishing? For those just discovering your work, could you briefly summarize your backlist, highlighting as you see fit? Would you please tell your fans more about it?

JC: I’m not sure I can remember every article I’ve written, but I have written for the magazines mentioned in questions above and I do have two books out now. As for magazines, I would pitch and pitch and pitch some more any magazine you want to write for. I still pitch, and get turned down, all the time! But you just have to keep submitting your ideas so that editors can see how dedicated you are. Hopefully one day one of your ideas sticks with them and they want to use it.

EI: Now... let’s shift gears here for a second. Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced to publish your first novel “Secret Of My Hollywood Life?”

JC: I was extremely fortunate that an editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers agreed to have coffee with me so that I could tell her my idea for a novel. I was even more lucky that she agreed to read the proposal, which wasn’t even written yet, when I was done. After a few months of rewrites and changes, they hired me to write Secrets I and II.

EI: What inspired you to write these cool stories? And what is your response to the public perception about your creative insight with your book? Is there anything about you that you would do differently, knowing what you do now? Are any of the characters in the story actually based on real people in your life?

JC: The characters in Secrets have traits, or experience similar things that have happened to stars I’ve interviewed over the years. That’s where the title “Secrets” came from—the secrets in the book that Kaitlin reveals are real secrets that stars have told me, over the years, about life in Hollywood.

EI: How much of ‘Kaitlin Burke is planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with her character? What was your biggest challenge?

JC: I’m starting to plot out where Kaitlin might go if there is a Secrets four and I love figuring out what her next move should be. Kaitlin is almost like a real person to me at this point and I’m very careful about what I want to happen to her next.

EI: Please tell us about Kaitlin Burke, Sky Mackenzie and Drew Thomas? What was your biggest challenge in developing these characters? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story?

JC: Kaitlin and Sky are costars on a hot TV show that are constantly fighting over fame, jobs and guys. I wanted the two of them to have the same struggles girls in high schools all over America face, just on a much more public platform. Living in the constant glare of the spotlight has to be really difficult and I wanted readers to see that struggle that Kaitlin faces—how can she balance her uber-cool life in Hollywood with the time to do normal teen things that every girl wants to do?

Drew is supposed to be the Hollywood climber who will do anything to get his name in the papers. I’ve met quite a few Drew’s over the years…

EI: Please tell us about ' Secret of My Hollywood Life: On Location' the 2nd in the series. Would you care to share a little a bit about it?

JC: In “On Location,” Kaitlin is spending the summer shooting a movie with her favorite director, Hutch Adams and her costar, Drew Thomas, who happens to be her ex. He desperately wants to get back together so that he can get more face time in US Weekly. Kaitlin already has a new boyfriend, Austin, who is as unHollywood as they come, and she’s a bit nervous about introducing him to her world and to Drew. And of course, Sky is back to cause more mischief as well.

EI: If you were allowed total control of a Hollywood adaptation of 'Secret of My Hollywood Life', which actors would you cast? And who would you want to direct?

JC: Wow, I’d love to see Secrets on the big screen! I get this question a lot and I have to say, for Kaitlin, I love Ashley Tisdale. She just seems like she’d be perfect. Lookswise, I modeled Austin after Chad Michael Murray, but by the time, if ever, we ever do a Secrets movie, he’d probably be too old to play him!

EI: Would you give us a hint about your upcoming 3rd series “Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Family Affair, due spring 2008? What can you tell us about it?” Are there anymore wacky stories about Kaitlin’s entourage?

JC: In Secrets III, Kaitlin is happy to be back on the set of her hit TV show and can’t wait for her life to get back to normal after a hectic summer. Too bad there’s a hot, new young actress on the set who wants the spotlight all to herself. Now Kaitlin and Sky, the two sworn enemies, have to work together take down an even bigger diva than the two of them combined.

EI: Ms. Calonita, thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know you, and your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

JC: Thank you so much for asking me! My advice is to write—as much as you can—about anything and everything. Write what you know and the words and ideas will start flowing. You never know where they’ll take you.

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To date, I have published the first novel in my YA series: Wireless in the Fabric of Time. It was released in January 2007, and can be ordered through Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Wireless: Life Doesn’t Rewind Across The Universe, the second book in the series, will be published sometime in 2010.
While working on my novels, I started a series of blogs. First, “Totally YA” focuses on all things young adults; another, “Up Close & Personal,” is an ongoing conversation with authors and others from various genres; and the third, “A View From the Top,” attempts to offer insight into agents’ and publishers’ points of view.
The response to the blogs has been exciting and encouraging. It seems my readers enjoy an open conversation with authors, agents and publishers of all ages, in which the blogger’s voice takes a back seat. The free expression that results has been enlightening to me as well, as it happens to have expanded my interests to fiction.
Goodbye Bling-Bling, Hel---looo, Jailbird! will be my first attempt at non-fiction. Look for 2010 release date.

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"If you can't enter the publishing world through the front door, try the back door - if that door is locked also, there is almost always a window open."
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FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Stacey Barney

Penguin / G.P. Putnam's Son

In lieu of a personal photo, Ms. Barney has supplied a company logo.

Stacey Barney, an editor at Putnam Books for Young Readers has held posts in both adult and children's book publishing, beginning her career at Lee & Low Books, a multicultural children's book publisher. She then worked at Farrar, Straus and Giroux with such talented new writers as Chris Abani and Lisa Dierbeck.

At Amistad/HarperCollins, she published LA Times bestselling author Tamara T. Gregory's Passport Diaries as well as the acclaimed memoir, This Voice in My Heart. Before coming onboard Putnam's team, she worked at Dafina/Kensington, where she launched a Young Adult list with such titles as DRAMA HIGH, SO NOT THE DRAMA, BOY SHOPPING, and PERRY SKKY JR, the spin-off to bestseller Christian teen series PAYTON SKKY.

At Putnam, Stacey is looking for multicultural voices in everything from chapter books and middle grade to Young Adult.

EI: How often do you accept an offering because you feel it could be edited into publishable form but then fail to do so—either because of difficulty with the author or it wasn't any good in the first place?

Stacey Barney: I’ve not had this experience. I’ve never taken something on and then failed to publish it. When I take on work it’s because the author has done their job and what I receive on submission is already very polished.

When I take on something less than polished, it’s because I see the potential in it, and have a vision for it that matches the author’s vision. When Penguin/G.P. Putnam's Sons considers a new author's manuscript, does film potential play a role in the decision process? Can you rank the top genre markets in terms of most lucrative to least? Film potential doesn’t play a role in whether we decide to publish something or not.

While I won’t provide a ranking, I will say that Fantasy tends to be a very lucrative side of the business as does commercial teen fiction—books that are issue driven or chick lit type narratives such as the Gossip Girls series.

EI: Will you explain to us how you make contact with an editor at a major house once you have a manuscript you are excited about? Can you tell the readers so that they can understand the role of an agent? Do you send an editor a formal proposal of some type? Or do you just pick up the phone? Does it vary from house to house, press to press?

Holly Root: When I have a project that’s ready to go out the door—edited, primped, and polished—I start by pulling together a submission list of editors to talk to about the book. The next step is crafting a pitch
letter. This will later be the cover letter for the submission, but it’s also where I begin to refine the pitch. The best pitches, like the best queries, pique the reader’s interest, play up the project’s selling points, and help build excitement about the project.

Once that submission list is final and the letter is set, I’ll get in touch with the editors and personally pitch them the book, then send over the manuscript or proposal with that cover letter. The exact kind of pitch does vary; some people prefer to have the details about projects over email, others by phone. My pitch gets the book in the door, but ultimately it is the work that sells. My role as the agent is to get that work into the right person’s hands and highlight the potential for that book’s success.

EI: Do you see the demand for first novels increasing? Any difference between literary and genre work? What is your opinion?

Byrd Leavell: I think the case could be made that the fact that a constant demand for first novels exists is one of the most redeeming aspects of this business. Whether it is increasing I wouldn't
venture to speak to, but what I can tell you is that that book publishing is full of terrific editors that read the novels we send to them and do so quickly. And if they like and believe in them they do everything they can to push them through the nearly Sisyphean process that putting together an
offer from a publishing house can be.

A first novel is rarely ever an easy submission, but at the same time there is a continual, almost desperate hunger for talent within book publishing. And it this hunger that gives every writer out there a reason to keep sitting down in front of their computer. If you are one of the blessed few that is able to rise above the rest, find your voice (whether it is literary fiction or a zombie novel) and write a manuscript that captures a reader the way only good fiction can, then believe me when I say that you will have no trouble finding an agent

EI: Is it true that the first 3 chapters in a MS is crucial, but if the narrative is awkward or the prose poor, won't that be obvious right away? Why would an editor or agent need to read past the first 3 chapters?

Nathan Bransford: The first three chapters are definitely important because they have to hook an agent right away. I am always looking for a great plot and a writer who has mastered the craft of writing. I don’t often read manuscripts where the narrative is awkward and the prose is poor, because writers who don’t have a mastery of narrative and prose don’t make it past the query stage.

Robert G. Diforio has been in the publishing industry for 40 years, including 17 years at New American Library Dutton\Penguin USA from VP Sales to
President and Publisher, Chairman and CEO. He’s the founder and sole owner of
D4EO Literary Agency since 1989.

E.I. What qualities must a manuscript possess in order for you to really push to see it published? Do you base it on the query letter?

Robert Diforio: It is the query letter that gets – or doesn’t – my attention in the first place, but it clearly is the ms. or proposal that determines my decision to represent the work or not.

If it is a novel, it is the author’s voice in the ms. that will generate my attention, or not. If the voice is strong and the story compelling, I am apt to say yes. Once I say yes, I do my utmost to find editors who agree with me and strike the best deal, with the right editor, that I can on behalf of the author. If the work is non-fiction, then it is a combination of the work itself – it has to be compelling – and the author’s ability to help sell his work. Publishers demand that authors, especially first time authors, have a media platform before they will consider publication. In its absence, the proposal or manuscript would have to truly capture my attention for me to take the time to try to find editors who agree.

In both fiction and non-fiction, the work has to excite me. If it doesn’t, I am not the agent to sell it.

FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Elise Capron - Agent,

Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

In lieu of a personal photo, Ms. Capron has supplied a client's book cover.

E.I. Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. Capron, Let’s say a writer compose a query that is brilliant and exhibits adequate credentials plus a unique and provocative story idea, and the writing sample she includes will persuade just about any agent in the literary business. Do you think that she will hear quickly from those who are interested? Will an agent give the writer a go signal to send the whole manuscript right away? What’s your opinion?

Elise Capron: The situation is different for every agent. If the project is fiction, one must remember that fiction is all about personal taste. What speaks to one person may not speak to another. Response time from agencies also varies greatly.

At the Dijkstra Agency we have a reading response time of 6-8 weeks (or sooner if possible), and when we’re excited about a project we will try to get in touch with the author sooner rather than later. Agencies all have different policies on when to request a full manuscript.

At the Dijkstra Agency, if we read something we really like, we’ll typically get a second read on the partial manscript, and then—if we get support from our colleage—we’ll request the full manuscript. We only request full manuscripts when we are seriously interested.

If an author hasn’t heard back from an agency after a certain period of time, don’t take that as a sign of rejection. Call the agency and check on the project’s progress (please allow at least a few weeks to pass before calling, however) to make sure they received it.

Along with Michael Carlisle, and Richard Pine, Kim Witherspoon is the founding partner of Inkwell Management. Ms. Witherspoon graduated from Brown
University in 1984 with a BA in International Relations. Then at the tender age of 26, and with the collaboration of her partners, she launched what has become
one of the most successful agencies in New York's Manhattan. Her clients are frequently published internationally, as well.

She is also a founding board member of a new public charter high school, The Bronx Academy of Letters. She remains a member of the Authors Guild, and is the editor of two anthologies, including: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: Culinary Catastrophes From the World’s Greatest Chefs.(www.inkwellmanagement.com/

E.I. Ms. Witherspoon, thank you for stopping by. Would you please explain as the founding partner at Inkwell Management, how do you view the market for first novels in the literary mainstream genre and literary fiction? Does the culture at your agency differ from other agencies with respect to giving a serious look at first-time authors?

Kimberly Witherspoon: "At InkWell, first novelists with strong manuscripts enjoy an opportunity that previously published authors do not. An unpublished author has no sales track, so provided that his or her book is exceptionally strong, we are free to work with the publisher to project how many copies the book might potentially sell, unfettered by any past sales history. Similarly, if an author has an interesting personal story, we are able to present a fresh profile to the media. The field is wide open -- and that's a uniquely powerful moment in a writer's life, provided that we're presenting a compelling read.

We’re always excited about reading an especially talented first-time author -- whether their work is literary or commercial -- as helping launch a writer’s career and then building their audience is deeply satisfying.
Essentially, InkWell is committed to helping writers gain the recognition they deserve at any stage of their career -- whether we're presenting their first book or their 10th!"

Lisa Bankoff has been with ICM for more than twenty five years. Her background in publicity, marketing, promotion and editorial gives her a unique insight, and a solid foundation for the agency business. Actually her first dream was to be a journalist. Instead she chose a career path that would bring her closer to her love of writing working in both with fiction and nonfiction.

Ms. Bankoff worked with the late Jed Mattes. He was a highly regarded literary agent, who is remembered for nurturing the careers of well-known gay writers such as Armistead Maupin, Michelangelo Signorile, and Urvashi Vaid. Mr. Mattes also represented the best-selling author Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), and playwright Michael Frayn.

Many of Lisa Bankoff’s clients have written best-selling books. Of those many are clients she nurtured from day one of their writing careers. Loyalty and commitment along with her passion for the business are the keys to her success as an agent. Her client list reads something like a who’s who: Elizabeth Berg, Doug Brinkley, Claire Cook, John Colapinto, Chris Hedges, Laura Kasischke, J. Robert Lennon, David Lipsky, Ann Patchett, Mike Perry, Anne Roiphe, and Anne Ursu.

E. I. What combination of literary factors make an author successful in terms of book sales? Is it setting, dramatic premise, or great wordsmithing?

Why isn't the book selling? Luck is a four letter word. There's good luck, the sort that takes your breath away, rare and thrilling; the phone call (Oprah!); or the award (Barnes & Noble Discover winner!); or the film deal (Uma!). I've experienced all of those and then there's the other side of luck, the bad-timing, can't catch-a-break, is-anyone-out-there, does-anyone-still-even-read-variety. It's important to bear in mind that the publishing gods can be fickle and then just ignore them, do
your very best and don't stop.

"The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency is a New York City-based full-service literary agency, recently named one of the top 25 literary agencies in the country by Writers Digest.

The agency specializes in children's literature of all ages -- picture books, middle-grade, and young adult -- but also represents high-quality adult fiction and non-fiction in traditional and non-traditional arenas. The categories that we are most enthusiastic about agenting are: literary and commercial fiction; mysteries; thrillers; celebrity biographies; humor; psychology and self-help; parenting; health and fitness; women's issues; men's issues; pop culture; film and television; social issues and contemporary affairs.

We work with major publishers such as HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Carroll & Graf, etc., as well as audio, web, and electronic publishers where appropriate. The agency has affiliations with subagents throughout the world, including individual countries in Europe, Eastern Europe, the Far East, and South and Central America. We also have strong working relationships with several Hollywood agencies. " (Article from JD Lit Agency Website: www.jdlit.com/)

E. I. : Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. DeChiara, You specialize in literary fiction and commercial fiction, but does that also include general fiction? How do you define literary?

Jennifer DeChiara: The agency represents all kinds of fiction, but we are most passionate about literary fiction, which I define as beautiful writing that is a pleasure to
read.

A literary novel usually appeals to a more intellectual crowd; it either has a unique style or exquisite writing, or both. It's the kind of book where I find myself reading a sentence or a paragraph over and over because the language feels wonderful on my tongue; I will remember sentences that the writer has written many years later. I always say that you can flesh out a character in a book or rewrite a plot - you can restructure an entire novel, if you have to -
but you can't give a writer that kind of talent, the kind of writing that will resonate forever in a reader's heart.

She has been guiding authors through the publishing process since she co-founded BookEnds in 1999. As a literary agent, Jessica prides herself on working closely with her authors to make their goals come to fruition. Jessica represents mystery, suspense, thrillers, romance, erotica and nonfiction. More about Jessica and BookEnds can be found at www.bookends-inc.com or bookendslitagency.blogspot.com

E. I. Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. Faust, In your opinion, is it a mistake to believe that the opening chapter can be successful in a third-person omniscient narrative, without introducing the protagonist and without a single line of dialogue until the very end of the chapter?

Jessica Faust: Unfortunately there isn’t an easy, conclusive answer to this question. It honestly depends on the author, the book and the author’s ability to pull it off. I do not believe there are any concrete rules to making a book work. I think that if you can make it work then it will work. The problem is that there are certain things that few people have been able to do well which is why these rules come into play.

E. I. What makes a certain manuscript stand out from the pile and how many of those first-time authors has BookEnds gotten published over the past few years?

Jessica Faust: The hook is what grabs me or doesn’t grab me immediately. Before even reading any of the material I make part of my decision based on the query letter. If your hook sounds exciting and different I will start reading your material with excitement. However, if you don’t have a strong hook I might not even get to more than a few pages of the book. Of course, after the hook it’s all about the writing—a solid plot, great characters, etc.

Let me explain about the hook a little. I think many people have gotten the misconception that a hook is only for commercial fiction and has to be huge and dramatic, or very obvious like a cozy mystery series with knitting or a book with “Code” in the title. The truth is that a hook doesn’t have to be so obvious. It can be something small that makes your book stand out and catches the eye of the readers. Bella Andre does that Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me, a collection of erotic stories set in Napa Valley. Napa Valley and the food andwine she includes make a hook. It makes her book more than just a collection of stories. Every book has a hook if you dig deep enough, it’s the writer’s job to really make that hook stand out for the reader.

E. I. So great for you to do the interview.
Thank you so much.

Jessica Faust: I thank you very much.

FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Daniel Lazar - Agent

Writer House A Literary Agency

In lieu of a personal photo, Mr. Lazar has supplied a client's book cover.

E.I. What is the publishing climate now for first time literary authors as compared to when you started the business? In what ways does it differ from the current genre climate?

D. Lazar : The climate hasn't really changed. There's a lot of bemoaning about how hard fiction is -- all fiction -- but still, novels still break out in the bookstores, and agents are still making big sales to publishers eager to make big new careers. In general, genre fiction (which is not a judgment of a writer's quality, since it's a matter of fact that every genre has its stellar talents that should & do transcend any crass label) can be an easier sell, I suppose, because the package and channels are little more evident. A thriller is a more specific kind of novel than just a "novel." I think across the board the stakes are higher, in that the hits are hitting bigger, and the books that fail, because they're set up so spectacularly, fail bigger. Also, the bigger accounts (B&N especially) have a great deal of sway in a book's production, from the jacket to the title to the existence of the book in its stores at all! But by all accounts, publishing is a cyclical beast and what is failing today could be hot again tomorrow. Power to the readers.

Ellen Levine is an Executive Vice President of Trident Media Group. Her famous client’s books have become major films,Ms. Levine's career with two publishers: New American Library and Harper; Row (now HarperCollins). She then worked at other agencies before forming Ellen Levine Literary Agency in 1980.

Ellen has appeared on numerous publishing panels and spoken at many writers’ conferences. Many of her clients have appeared on the NY Times Bestseller List and have won major awards and prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the P.E.N. Faulkner Award, the P.E.N. Hemingway Award, The Booker Prize, and The L.A. Times Book Award among others.Many of her clients’ books have become major feature films, including The English Patient, Holes, The Sweet Hereafter, Affliction, Housekeeping, and Ride With the Devil.

The English Patient is a 1992 novel by Sri Lankan Canadian novelist Michael Ondaatje. The film was directed by Anthony Minghella, featured Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. “The English Patient” won 9 Oscars and 37 nominations.

The Sweet Hereafter is a 1991 novel by Russel Banks. It became a 1997 Canadian film and it was written and directed by Oscar-nominated Atom Egoyan. The film was nominated for two Oscars, won Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and 29 more other nominations

Affliction is a 1989 novel by Russel Banks and it became a 1997 film starring Nick Nolte, Academy award winner for best actress Sissy Spacek, James Coburn and two time Academy award-winning nominated, William Dafoe. The film was written and directed by former film critic,screenwriter director Paul Schrader

Housekeeping is a 1987 Novel by Marilynn Robin the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for "Gilead". Housekeeping became a 1988 film starring Academy Award winner Christine Lahti.

Ride with the Devila coming of age novelby Daniel Woodrell. It became a 1997 film, directed by one of todays greatest contemporary filmmaker 'Ang Lee'.

Ellen enjoys representing both literary and popular fiction, including thrillers and women's fiction. She is particularly interested in narrative non-fiction, history, biography, popular culture, world affairs, and politics. She also has a select list of children’s and young adult authors.

EI: How do you feel about working with first-time authors? How many and what kinds of first-time authors have become published through your efforts with Trident Media Literary Agency?

Ellen Lavine: Since my current list keeps me very busy, and because the climate for new fiction is very competitive, I need to be very selective about taking on first-time authors. That said, one of the most exciting aspects of my work is discovering an exceptionally talented new writer with a distinctive voice.

I've handled many first works of fiction - a couple of examples: A collection of short stories published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux entitled GET DOWN by Asali Solomon, an Iowa Writer's Workshop grad, and a first novel to be published this Fall by Tin House Books entitled OVENMAN by Jeff Parker.

EI: Your taste in books is obviously eclectic based on the genre categories you are willing to represent, including literary, popular fiction, thrillers, women’s fiction, narrative non-fiction, historical, biography, popular culture, world affairs, politics, selected list of children and young adults. That's a lot to juggle. What particular qualities do you look for in work by a first time young adult writer, for example?

Ellen Lavine: The same qualities to which I'm attracted in adult fiction: appealing voice, great storytelling, well-developed characters, quality prose; and if there's a strong theme or handle, that helps. I've recently sold a first YA novel to Knopf, FERN VERDANT, by Diana Leszczysnki, to which all of this applies.

FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Theresa Park

Theresa Park - Agent, Owner and Founder of Park Literary Agency was a Silicon Valley attorney turned Literary Agent, in New York. She made her mark representing strong commercial fiction and serious non-fiction.

Her clients include prominent scientist, journalists and established academics venturing into the world of commercial publishing, as well as writers of thrillers, action-adventure novels and modern love stories.

One of her famous client is Nicholas Sparks, an internationally bestselling American author of the number one New York Times bestsellers The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, The Guardian, and many more.

Her list reflects her particular interest in first-time authors, her commitment to the long-term success of her clients’ careers and her love of deal making. Ms. Park is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Ms. Park is one of the founderThe Park Literary Group when she and other colleagues left.

E.I. How do you define a well-crafted commercial fiction? Do you consider commercial fiction as the dessert of all fiction because it sticks to our soul? It’s empty calories, harmless unless overindulged? What is your opinion?

Theresa Park: Great commercial fiction simultaneously offers first-rate entertainment and emotional catharsis. Usually plot-driven enough to create a heightened sense of suspense and curiosity (i.e., a page-turner), it also takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride: engagement, euphoria, loss, and redemption / fulfillment; or alternatively, stasis, loss, terror, courage, and triumph. It should make for a transporting experience, even if it’s not always a deeply profound one.

An escapist novel need not be viewed as “empty calories,” since a particularly skilled author can sometimes craft a commercial thriller or love story that incorporates substantive historical or intellectual elements: think of The Instance of the Fingerpost, The Name of the Rose, Memoirs of a Geisha. As with literary fiction, some commercial novels feel generic and forgettable, while others introduce ideas or emotional conflicts that remain with us long after we’ve finished the last page. Many may take issue with a book’s artistic limitations, but who can forget the wrenching emotional dilemma of The Bridges of Madison County, the bold premise of The Bourne Identity, the heartbreaking choices and ravaged landscapes of The Good German, or even the epic complexity of George R.R. Martin’s books?

Commercial fiction may not always rise to the level of “Art,” but I would argue that it requires a highly disciplined sense of craft – at its best, meticulous plotting, precise control of suspense and pacing, universal and yet memorable characters, powerful emotional triggers, and a supremely satisfying ending. A fantastic commercial novel always succeeds in reminding you why books are still a better form of entertainment than movies or TV – easily worth the additional effort and time.